About Woodsonia

Our Story

In 2006, Drew Snyder, our founder, and three partners purchased and developed a single-story office building in Shawnee, KS in the Woodsonia West neighborhood. As Drew developed the Woodsonia office building, he discovered a passion for investing and developing in commercial real estate. This single venture was the beginning of Woodsonia Real Estate, Inc. and inspired our company name.

Since our inception, Woodsonia and its affiliated companies now own and manage over 30 properties in multiple states with a combined value of approximately $120 million. Still, our passion for real estate continues to grow, as we do.

Who is Woodsonia

We are a real estate company that focuses on investing and developing property assets. People are at the heart of our formula for success. We nurture the long-term relationships we share with our many clients and partners, and meeting their specific objectives is central to our business. Our team members possess a diverse set of skills and industry expertise, which has resulted in a portfolio ranging from single tenant buildings to large scale shopping centers.

Drew Snyder

President

In 2005 during his senior year at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Drew successfully began his real estate career, earning his real estate license. He cut his teeth selling and leasing commercial properties in Lincoln, NE for two years until relocating to Kansas City. While in KC, Drew began to invest in real estate throughout the Midwest. These initial ventures fueled his experience and passion for real estate investment and eventually led to his return to Omaha and the creation of Woodsonia Real Estate, Inc. Drew embraces the chaos inherent in the real estate industry, saying, “You never know what the day will hold.” Someday, when things slow down and he has a spare moment, he hopes to take runs on a beach along the Pacific Coast. “I just hope I am young enough to be able to actually run,” he says with a philosophical shrug.

Tanya Mainelli

Director of Operations

Tanya’s career in real estate began in 1989 in the residential sphere, and in 2002 she shifted her concentration to commercial property management. Since joining Woodsonia in 2013, Tanya has become an integral component of the firm’s operations - and its personality. Her focus is asset management for Woodsonia’s properties and tending to its client and vendor relationships, which is a source of great pride for her. She thrives on the daily challenges of commercial real estate, but in her free time she likes to hit the road with her family for excursions to natural settings like the Black Hills. Tanya and her husband plan on living out Johnny Cash’s anthem “I’ve Been Everywhere” in their retirement, motor homing all over the U.S. in a constant loop to “cross the deserts bare” and “breathe the mountain air,” (man).

Jeff Elliott

Project Developer

Until joining Woodsonia in 2014, Jeff’s long career had always been affiliated with the service side of real estate. So he was excited to shift roles and explore the developer side of the industry. Jeff enjoys working in Woodsonia’s flexible environment with professionals who possess many and varied capabilities. He is a registered professional engineer, having earned his Bachelor of Science in engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jeff is a past board member of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and past president of Sarpy County Economic Development Corporation. Currently he is a member of the City of Omaha Urban Design Review Board and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is a board member of Omaha by Design Technical Advisory Group. Though he loves spending time with his grandchildren and playing the odd round (or two) of golf, Jeff has no plans to retire. I may slow down,” he concedes, “but not retire.”

Carson Stratman

Brokerage/Development

Carson loves the nimbleness a boutique company like Woodsonia provides. “I get to be involved in all projects,” he owns. “The entrepreneurial spirit here really appeals to me.” Carson graduated from Marquette University in 2008 after earning a degree in commercial real estate. He remained in Milwaukee working for a large commercial real estate firm until 2010 when he purchased his first retail franchise in Montana. Eventually he acquired seven franchises across the country, where he crossed paths with Drew. When Carson sold his businesses and returned to his hometown of Omaha, he reconnected with Drew and brought his retail ownership experience to the real estate industry. When he is not working, Carson roots for the Husker’s football team and Marquette’s (sadly, not Creighton’s) basketball team. Someday Carson will follow the setting sun to the Nebraskan panhandle or venture even further west to Big Sky Country to fish and enjoy the outdoors.

Matt Dennis

Executive Vice President

Matt is the newest member of the Woodsonia team, but he is certainly not new to commercial real estate. A 1981 graduate from the University of Kansas, Matt began his real estate career in 1985 in Kansas City and over the last 30 years has accrued extensive knowledge and industry experience in such specialties as tenant and landlord representation, site location, leasing, project entitlement, design, construction, and financing. He loves being part of the Woodsonia team and witnessing the next generation of commercial real estate professionals hone their industry skills. An avid outdoorsman, Matt loves to ski and hike in the Colorado Rockies and fly fish the world’s streams, from Chile and New Zealand to closer-to-home Missoula, MT. When he retires from commercial real estate, he hopes to spend more time angling for the perfect trout and ambling on mountain trails.

Sandi Hollingsworth

Property Manager

Sandi has over 21 years in the real estate and sales industries. Her experience is diverse, ranging from residential sales and commercial property management to retail management, to administrative work with local builders and a global relocation company. As Woodsonia’s property manager, Sandi oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm’s numerous properties in the Midwest. It’s a challenge she loves. “No two days are ever the same,” she says. “It’s definitely interesting.” When she is not taking care of Woodsonia’s tenants, Sandi enjoys traveling to warmer climates, for she is a lover of the sand and sun. Her favorite hot spot is any remote beach in the Caribbean. And when she can’t get away, she does what any sun-loving but land-locked Midwesterner would do – “I count down the days to when my pool opens,” she says.